New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-18
THE BETHLEHEM CONTRACTS.
REPUBLICAN POLICY CARRIED OUT.

ESTABLISHMENT OF AMERICAN 1SDUsrMEs-sEc-
prrAnY wHITSEY's OBLIGATIONS TO HIS PRE-
DECEssoR.
trpou AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNEl
WASHINGTON April lit Is very amusing 10 re""
The profuse and ndiscrlmnate praise which has been
showered upon Secretary Whitney, merely beca sc ne
happens to be at the head Of the Navy Department
at a time when certain important measures OF long
standing have reached elimination 1T Is the more
Imaginable when ono recalls the length oil time during
which he has had the power to act upon many lmpehu
ing questions and yet has stood idly by, neither NC
Gliding himself accepting the advice OF Others lho
procrastlnation Of a Democratic House OF hepIesehf
atives in acting upon the valuable recommendations
of his predecessor enabled Mr. Whitney to fan heir to
the recent power granted him by Congress
1t has been publicly announced that he considers
the opening of the bids from the steel manufacturers
on March - and the awards last week the crownlng
events of his administration of the Navy Department
TO whom does the credit for these acts really belong
To Mr.. Whitney, Democratic administration
and Democratic House OF Representa-
tiNes or to Mr. Chandler and Republican Senate
Arc the recent proposals answer to Nj. Whltneys
advertisement OF August 81, 1856, with its repeated
extensions, to the invitation OF MI Chambers cir
cuar letter of June CO. 1884, the report OF the Gun
Foundry Board December 20 OF the same year, and the
bills introduced by Senator Cameron December H.
1885, and brought to such successful passage IN the
Senate by General Hawley in February last
Tho policy for which friends Of secretary Whit
ney have claimed for him exclusive credit was In
reality proposed by Secretary Chand er. AS early as
1852 be opened tho discussion in his annual report
He said "The principal purpose Of our hrge naval
establishment being TO use cannon and
small arms and and torpedo explo-
sves against public enemcies, the question OF
ordnance Is OF the first Importance Having no
effective guns. it is the duty Of the Government to
begin their manufacture Immediately This couniry
is not now capable Of making u,S m,
cannon: they must, therefore, either bc
procured abroad or inducements must be offered to
steel manufacturers to engage in their production
in tho following year he returned 70 the subject ana
in view Of the larbe amount oil com
pound or Of steel arnor
which would DO required for the completion of the
four monitors recommended that Congress should Ia
some way encourage IT'S manufacture in this country
In pursuance of the directions Of the Naval Appropra
ton Act OF March 3, 1888, the Presia,nt on Aprn
Q 1852 appointed Commodore Edward Simpson, L. =
Navy: Captain Edmund Matthews T. = Navy
Colonel Thomas G. Baylor, Ordnance Department
e. $ Army: Lleutenant-Colonel Henry L. AbDo''
Engineer Corps, T. s. Army: Major samuel > Eiur'
cd Artillery. u. s. Army: and Lieutenant Wilhelm H.
Jaques U. S. Navy Board for the purpose OIL eA-
aiming and reporting to Congress which OF the navy
yards arsena.s oWhcu ny 'lo
crnment was best adopted for inc
establishment Of Government foundry; or
what other method should be adopted for the manu-
go ., heavy ordnance The Gun Foundry
oafd visited Europe for the purpose OF funy ooser
ing foreign methods Of producing heavy guns i'@
orv able report was presented TO Congress In FEB
rpary. 1884. with tho following recommendation
The board repeats its unanimous opinion ''haO tho
steel manufacturers should be called upon 10 pio'u
tho material and recommends An appropriation vi
not less than s15.O00,o00, one-hah for the Army anu
onehan for the Navy, to remain available until eN-
/
50 approprated shall be expended except In payment
for steel accepted and delivered From per
sonal intercourse with prominent steeFmaRers i'll 'he
United States the Board is in position to assert Una,
nroposals issued on tho above basis Will be Dcspon"7
to- but that 1t Will be necessary to appropriate the
| entire amount recommended In order 10
induce RESPONSIBLE steel manufacturers to erect ana
complete the plants to produce tho steel Tor the guns
| needed for the national defence"
| In the same year Secretary Chandler entered into
a most exhaustive discussion Of the Whole subject
urging the necessity Of encouraging manufacturers TO
produce ship in this country, In connection with
the production of steel ingots for guns He described
the progress made In maturing plans for the domes
tcation of these industries and stated that there
were responsible steel manufacturers In this country
who although not provided at present with the neccs
sary plant were willing to construct tho same, and TO
make bids for contracts with the Government for the
supply the requisite material for the heaviest guns
adapted to modern warfare If guaranteed order OF
sufficient magnitude, accompanied by posieve ap
preparation extending over series OF years, should
no made by Congress- All doubts as TO the fcasbll-
ty of the plan being thus removed, Secretary Chand
Ter urged that early action should be taken to provide
means for the construction of modern ordnance within
| the territory of Che United States In Secretary
Chambers reports and the report Of the Gun Foundry
Board Is to be found the emit re scheme for establish
ing these industries which has finally, after unneccs
sary delay. teen carried out by tho present Admin
| istration.
Secretary Whitney, instead Of acting upon the ad-
vice OF his predecessor as Congress authorized him
to do turned his attention to the reorganization OF the
Department. What is tho RESULT One finds to-day
the same bureau system, moro complicated business
methods, responsibility. and the absence Of that
| promDtness and practical ability which wero con-
spicuous during tho administration OF Mr. Chandler, Of
whose integrity Democrat leaders Of both houses Of
Congress have recorded such positive testimony. In
Mr. Wbitney's report Of 1885 are seen the first ndi
cations Of his awakening to the necessity OF some
action on the recommendations Of his predecessor,
made three years before respecting armor and gun
steel The whole subject which had been 50 fully dis
| cussed, had failed to interest him until that time.
Meanwhile the manufacturers themseles had not been
tle. The preparations that have been going on for
SO long period at the works OF the Bethlehem Cam
bria and Midvae companies the direct result Of
the prompt action Of Mr. Chandler and the comprc-
hensive Investigations and recommendations OF the
Gun Foundry Board. II Mr.. Whitney had issued his
advertisements and circular Of information TO the steel
manufacturers year earlier he was authorized to
do tho discovery by the country Of these preparations
would have been sufficiently early TO have greatly
aided the determination Of Congressional policy on
Fortihcatons and Coast Defences, and that
good work would have gone it should, hand In
hand with tho recreation of the navy instead OF being
postponed for at least another year, II not iDnger
Again, o second year has begun since Mr.. Whitney
was authorized TO equip the Washington Navy Yard
as q Naval Ordnance Factory. In December. 1884